Systemic Rape Essay

In times of conflict rape is often used as a weapon of war and at times in places like Bosnia as a form of genocide. The result of systemic rape often result to thousands of women getting pregnant. Due to a 39-year-old U.S. legislation all organizations that receive U.S. foreign aid are forbidden from discussing abortion with a rape victim that has been impregnated. Not only does this law prohibit U.S. foreign aid receptions from providing abortion but it also prohibits these organizations from even speaking about abortion with a rape victim. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how U.S. foreign policy affects those have are victims of systemic rape and how the pro-choice movement in the U.S. can assist women in places such as Bosnia, Rwanda and Congo. The reason I am interested in this topic is because prior to the International and Human Rights Law course I

From the research that I have gathered so far I have learned that in places such as Congo, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia those who are raped and impregnated are often isolated from their communities. These women are harassed, threatened and discriminated against because they got raped. In many cultures getting raped is bring shame to your family and because of the stigma it can result in husbands leaving their wives or women not being able to get married and other social problems. It is also important to recognize that systemic rape that aims to impregnate women is also done to commit genocide. For example during the Bosnian genocide Serbian soldiers were instructed to rape and impregnate Bosnian women so they could produce “little Serbs”. Understanding the history of why systemic rape occurs, the cultural ramification that forced pregnancy has on a victim leads to better understanding the problem and the need for a